1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for stripping casing from sausage sticks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sausages, such as pepperoni sausages, are formed in a stuffing operation in which the sausage emulsion is stuffed into a casing. The sausage stuffed casings are then clipped, smoked and further processed until the sausages are completely formed. After the sausages are formed, the casing is often removed to permit slicing of the sausage sticks for sale to consumers or institutions. Removal of the casing from the sausage sticks may be accomplished in a manual operation. However, such an operation is both time consuming and labor intensive. U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,387 discloses a mechanical method and apparatus for removing casings from sausage sticks. The apparatus includes an indexing device which moves the sausages in an arcuate path during which the front end of the sausage stick is severed. The sausage sticks are then moved horizontally, front end first, by a positioning conveyor, and the front edges of the casings are engaged by a casing stripper device. The casing is pulled from the sausage stick as the latter is moved by a positioning conveyor. The decased front end of the sausage stick is gripped by a movable gripper device which pulls the sausage from the casing. An ejector mechanism ejects the sausage from the gripper device.
While the above-noted apparatus have provided for improvements in stripping of casings from casing enclosed sausage sticks, there is still a need for an improved apparatus which effectively deals with various sizes of sausages as well as other improvements in the removal method and apparatus.